Born in Detroit in 1942, Sixto Diaz Rodriguez came from a working-class background and dropped out of high school at the age of 16. Dividing his time between hanging around the university campus and playing assorted unconventional clubs and bars, he was introduced to Impact's Harry Balk, which led to the recording of his first single, "I'll Slip Away," in 1967. When Balk took off for a career as a creative director at , session players and ardent Rodriguez supporters and Mike Theodore put him under the direction of Clarence Avant. About to set up his label, the latter was genuinely impressed with the artist's take on Detroit street life and supplied Theo-Coff Productions with sufficient means to cut an album's worth of material. Naturally, Theodore and took up keyboard and guitar duties, in addition to employing second-wave for a rhythm section. Recording Rodriguez separately, they matched his voice and acoustic guitar afterwards to a sonic palette of various orchestrations and psychedelic effects. Being 's first release, the resulting Cold Fact was a stone-cold folk-rock classic with an otherworldly feel to it.
Though industry-wise it was met with positive reviews, commercially the album gathered only dust. Theories as to why it didn't catch on in the climate of socially conscientious albums like Cloud Nine and What's Going On range from either not being played by underground radio and thus not meeting its intended public, or insufficient marketing by , with whom had a promotion and distribution deal. Though subsequently concentrating on , Avant offered Rodriguez the chance to record a follow-up in London with Steve Rowland (renowned for Family Dog's "Sympathy"). When 1971's Coming from Reality met a similar fate as its predecessor, the artist left the music business to enroll at university when he wasn't working construction to support his family and wasn't heard from again until 1979, when, much to his surprise,
he was requested to do some small theater shows Down Under, coinciding with the chart success of Australian re-releases of his albums. Fast forward to 1998, when Rodriguez was even more amazed to find vast amounts of mainstream acceptance. Apparently, some South African fans had invested quite a bit of effort in tracking down their long-lost hero. Their excitement at finding him alive and well convinced Rodriguez to play arena-sized venues.
At last, in the 21st century, his genius was acknowledged across America and mainland Europe, his popularity re-sparked by hip-hop-loving-crate diggers like , whose mix compilation Come Get It, I Got It used Cold Fact's opening shot "Sugar Man" for its own eclectic musical journey. In 2008, Cold Fact became more easily available through a lovingly annotated re-release, followed in 2009 by Coming from Reality. To celebrate his umpteenth rediscovery, Rodriguez embarked upon a world tour, meeting old fans and a whole new generation of admirers. This renaissance was spurred by the 2012 Oscar-winning documentary Searching for Sugar Man and its compilation soundtrack. The success of the film earned Rodriguez a significant audience in the United States, and he began touring in North America, playing the songs he recorded in the '70s for a new and enthusiastic audience. Despite having a fan base in the United States, Rodriguez continued to live a quiet life in Detroit. He passed away on August 8, 2023, at the age of 81. ~ Quint Kik, Rovi
Forget It
Rodríguez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Then you can thank me for mine
And after that's said
Forget it
Don't be inane
There's no one to blame
No reason why
And lie to me
Don't say anymore
Just walk out the door
I'll get along fine
You'll see
But thanks for your time
Then you can thank me for mine
And after that's said
Forget it
If there was a word
But magic's absurd
I'd make one dream come true
It didn't work out
But don't ever doubt
How I felt about you
But thanks for your time
Then you can thank me for mine
And after that's said
Forget it
The lyrics to Rodriguez's song Forget It deal with the aftermath of a failed relationship. The song begins with the singer thanking their former partner for their time, indicating that they hold no resentment towards them. They then suggest that their former partner thank them as well before urging them to forget about the failed relationship.
The singer explains that there is no one to blame for the end of the relationship, and that there is no reason for their former partner to stay and lie to them. They suggest that their former partner leave quietly, and that they will be able to get along fine without them.
The final verse of the song suggests that the singer had hoped to make some magic happen in the relationship, but that it ultimately didn't work out. They assure their former partner that they truly cared for them, but that it's time for them both to move on.
Overall, the lyrics to Forget It are a mature and respectful way of handling the ending of a romantic relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
But thanks for your time
I appreciate the time we spent together
Then you can thank me for mine
If there's anything I did that you appreciated, you can thank me
And after that's said
Once we've acknowledged our appreciation for each other
Forget it
We should move on from this relationship and forget about it
Don't be inane
Don't be foolish
There's no one to blame
No one is at fault for the end of our relationship
No reason why
There's no reason for you to stay and pretend to have feelings for me
You should stay here
You don't need to stay in this relationship if your heart isn't in it
And lie to me
And pretend to have feelings for me when you don't
Don't say anymore
We've already discussed everything there is to say
Just walk out the door
Just leave and don't look back
I'll get along fine
I'm okay with moving on
You'll see
You'll understand that I'll be okay on my own
If there was a word
If there was something I could do
But magic's absurd
But there's no magic solution to fix our relationship
I'd make one dream come true
I would try to fix the problems in our relationship
It didn't work out
But unfortunately, it didn't work out
But don't ever doubt
But please don't doubt
How I felt about you
That my feelings for you were genuine
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: SIXTO RODRIGUEZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@OneDamNote
But thanks for your time
Then you can thank me for mine
And after that's said
Forget it.
Don't be inane
There's no one to blame
No reason why
You should stay here
And lie to me.
Don't say anymore
Just walk out the door
I'll get along fine
You'll see.
But thanks for your time
Then you can thank me for mine
And after that's said
Forget it.
If there was a word
But magic's absurd
I'd make one dream come true.
It didn't work out
But don't ever doubt
How I felt about you.
But thanks for your time
Then you can thank me for mine
And after that's said
Forget it.
@TheMrheroR
=Забудь все=Что ж, спасибо за твое время,
А потом можешь поблагодарить меня за мое,
И как только скажешь -
Забудь все.
Не глупи,
Винить некого.
И нет причины,
Чтобы ты осталась
И солгала мне.
Не нужно ничего говорить,
Просто уйди и захлопни дверь,
А я нормально справлюсь -
Ты увидишь.
И все ж, спасибо за твое время,
А потом можешь поблагодарить меня за мое,
И как только скажешь -
Забудь все.
Если б было секретное слово,
Но магия - вздор,
Я бы исполнил одну мечту.
Не сработало,
Но все ж никогда не сомневайся
В том ЧТО я чувствовал к тебе.
Спасибо за твое время,
А потом можешь поблагодарить меня за мое,
И как только скажешь -
Забудь все
@mjlives5428
r your time
Then you can thank me for mine
And after that's said
Forget it
Don't be inane
There's no one to blame
No reason why
You should stay here
And lie to me
Don't say anymore
Just walk out the door
I'll get along fine
You'll see
But thanks for your time
Then you can thank me for mine
And after that's said
Forget it
If there was a word
But magic's absurd
I'd make one dream come true.
It didn't work out
But don't ever doubt
How I felt about you
But thanks for your time
Then you can thank me for mine
And after that's said
Forget it
@oscarcatx
Discovered Rodriguez when I was 66...Not since Dylan, Clapton, Lennon, Orbison, or Joplin have I been so excited about music...He is the poet, and the prophet, with more grit than Dylan, and the melodic abilities of Lennon...A true genus of our time, and almost lost...Thank you South Africa for saving this cultural icon and treasure for humanity...Cold fact....the woodchuck
@Feedingmysoul1
Beautifully and perfectly said.
@mrvoodoo5498
8 years later i hope you are well and good and I agree with everything you said.
@zarudesandstorm4446
Thank u South Africa
@GD-rd6ig
Can we just enjoy artists without comparing them?
@MPM_News
He was amazing
@alexiracheta995
RIP Sixto.Your legacy will never die
@frankieswrld
I'm absolutely distraught I only discovered him last year. Rest in peace, sugarman.
@meeg00
i chose this song for my dads funeral, it was his favourite, thanks for your time dad. we love you. 30 may 2011
@martinbelke1685
That is a great story and I can imagine all the love and tears with this emotional piece of art